A logic riddle
This little riddle demonstrates how logic can fail badly.
The logic may be good. How the logic is conjured up; terrible. Something we see too often in human societies.
Alex presses the lift button. The lift door opens. Alex has seen the sign, “Maximum 6 persons. Penalty applies to transgressors”.
Alex counts the number of people inside and applies the logic that 5 plus 1 is 6 and therefore it is fine for him to ride the lift with them.
The lift jams. The weight of Alex along with the obese people overloads the lift. The lift company assumed an average weight and did not account for the obesity epidemic.
The question is this. Why did Alex get sent to jail?
As an aside. The average weight used to transport airline passengers safely has been increased to account for the increase in obesity. Though new weight loss drugs are starting to reverse this trend. However, a flight heading to Las Vegas nearly crashed because it was overloaded.
The passengers were heading to a coin convention and had pockets stuffed with coins and carry on baggage loaded with coins. Assuming an average weight can cost you your life.
Logic does have a place. However, whenever you see a logic thesis, ignore the logic, and look at how they have applied numbers or reason to the logic points. Five people are not five people. Some are bigger, taller, younger or smarter than others.
Scientists have spent years looking for the reasons behind longevity. Certain groups of people have lots of long living people in their midst. Many more that reach 100 than average. Is it their food? It is the amount of exercise they do each day? Is it eating until three quarters full. Is it the type of fats they consume. Is it related to their genes? Do they live in a less polluted environment?
The clue lies in the prosperity of these groups of people. They tend to be poor. Lots of poor people who ordinarily you assume would have a low life expectancy.
The truth: It relates to logical assumptions. We assumed they lived to a ripe old age.
They didn’t.
On paper they did.
People kept claiming their pensions long after they had died. Poverty and dishonesty can go hand in hand. Or a certain type of dishonesty. Rich do dishonest things too but won’t need to claim the pensions of the deceased.
Anyway, why did Alex get sent to jail?.
24th January 2026
© IgnoranceParadox 2003 - 2026
Explore
Get Book
